This Is How We Roll: Week of October 9, 2015
Niles Wicks shot the high game for the 11:00 Trio with a nice 204 game; Niles also had a 500 series. High series for the day belonged to David Martin with 519; David’s high game was 185. Other good games were rolled by Billy Potteiger, 172, Ericq Williams, 156, Gavin Bervish, 149, Ian Huebner, 138, Billy Radcliffe, 138, and...
Ravenna Business Plans to Hire 30 Professional CAREGivers
Ravenna - As America’s aging population grows, a local senior care company is gearing up to meet the expected need for services. The Home Instead Senior Care® office serving Portage County anticipates adding up to 30 professional CAREGiversSM to its staff by the end of 2015. By 2050, it is predicted that the senior population will more than double from...
Indians Outfielder Michael Brantley Visits CMS
Mantua - The gymnasium at the Crestwood Middle School reverberated with excitement last week, as Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley entered. Timmy and Jacob, two of the over 400 students filling the bleachers, sat in a prime spot in the first row as they waited for Brantley’s arrival. In their Indians garb, the two sixth-graders clutched baseball cards and...
Garrettsville-Hiram Rotary Recap
T’was business as usual at the October 4 2015 meeting of the Rotary Club of Garrettsville-Hiram. Action on and discussion of the following were on the agenda : Kyle Collins is alive and doing well as a Rotary Exchange Student in Japan. He’s noticing differences in social interactions as well as improving his Japanese language skills. Happy to talk...
Fall Savings Sidewalk Sale in Middlefield
Middlefield - Join us for our 2nd annual, FALL SAVINGS SIDEWALK SALE. Visit us on, October 8th, 9th & 10th 2015 from 10am-5pm in the local historic town of Middlefield. With small town charm & homespun arts & crafts you can uncover fascinating one-of-a kind treasures & gifts! What makes this special is the great savings we will be offering...
“Horsing around” with the 20th Century Club
The ladies of the Twentieth Century Club of Garrettsville spent their meeting of October 1, 2015 “horsing around”. The subject of the evening’s roll call was experiences with horses and the tales sometime rivaled “The Perils of Pauline.” Business was conducted by President Mary Furillo and the group voted in a new member, Pat Fisher. Dues were collected. The program...
Geauga Growth Partnership Presents Entrepreneur Success Breakfast
Tricia Kaman was an art student and worked in 1965 as a portrait artist during the summer at Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio. In 1971 she started her own portrait stand at Geauga Lake Park, and since that time has grown a business that has locations in over thirty major theme and amusement parks throughout the United States and...
J.A. Garfield Historical Society News
Garrettsville - The September 21, 2015 meeting of the James A. Garfield Historical Society saw an influx of visitors from Freedom, seeking information on organizing and operating a historical society, with an eye to possibly establishing such a group for Freedom Township, either as a separate entity or as a semi-autonomous affiliate. This inquiry originated with the Freedom Room...
Arts & Culture Shine at Hiram College
Hiram - As fall semester began, Hiram College celebrated enhancements to the Warren Sherman Hayden Memorial Auditorium at Bates Hall. Renovations to the 80-year-old venue included new seating for 511, including wheelchair-accessible seating, a new thrust stage and extensive roof repairs and new gutters on Bates Hall. Ohio Senator John Eklund, a key supporter of the project, attended the...
Crestwood Students Learn the Importance of Keeping Promises
Mantua - A rainy Monday morning was transformed into into a day full of promise when Alex Sheen spoke to students and staff at the Crestwood High School and Crestwood Middle School. Sheen founded the social movement and nonprofit organization because I said I would. Through because I said I would, individuals use promise cards to record and remember the...
Portage County District Library’s Big Read Book Discussions at Branch Libraries
Portage County District Library is once again partnering with Hiram College’s Lindsay-Crane Center for Writing and Literature to bring The Big Read to Portage County residents. This community-wide reading program will feature the title Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea. The Big Read book discussions will take place at various branch libraries in the month of October....
Portage County District Library Millage Request on November 3 Ballot
On Tuesday, November 3, 2015, Portage County District Library residents will vote on a 1 mill ballot proposal to provide funding for PCDL for five years. Portage County District Library currently receives no local funding and depends entirely on state funding which is now at about the same level as that received in 1998. State funding provides about 95%...
Short Takes: Go Out, Get Involved
Read Big! It’s not too late to participate in the BIG READ, a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest being offered by Hiram College’s Lindsay-Crane Center for Writing and Literature and the libraries of the Portage County Library District. There will be authors, speakers, a dance troupe and Mexican food as well as discussion...
Portage County Gardeners’ Harvest Market A Success
The Portage County Gardeners' Center wants to thank everyone who supported their Harvest Market event. Craig Stevens of Ravenna won the helicopter ride raffle held during the event. The next phase of the fall fund raiser formally held in Oct. will now be Fri. Nov 13, 2015 from 4-8p.m. and Sat. Nov. 14, 2015 from 10a.m.-3p.m. at the Portage County Gardeners’...
ABLE Offers GED/ESOL Classes in Portage County
Ravenna - The Adult Basic & Literacy Education (ABLE) Program at Maplewood Career Center in Ravenna would like to welcome everyone back to a new school year! The ABLE Program is offering classes and materials for adults, free-of-charge for GED, ESOL, basic English and math skills, and transitioning into post-secondary education, training, or trade. We have trained instructors to help...
Geauga Fresh Farmers Market Looks for County’s Best at Annual Salsa Tasting Contest
Enter your favorite salsa in the Geauga Fresh Farmers’ Market Annual Salsa Tasting Contest on Saturday, September 26, 2015 from 10-Noon. Customers and vendors are encouraged to enter – hot and sweet, fresh or cooked. Shop now for the freshest ingredients and please keep basic ingredients locally grown – zucchini, eggplant, peach, tomato, tomatillo, watermelon, cucumber and any other...
Crestwood Celebrates a Culture of Caring
Mantua - On a perfect sunny day earlier this week, students at Crestwood Primary and Crestwood Intermediate Schools celebrated the 6th annual International Day of Peace by making and planting pinwheels for peace at their combined campus. Crestwood Primary Principal Cindy Ducca shared, “Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by teachers in Coconut Creek,...
Collecting Fossils in Thermopiles, Wyoming
Perfect silence. It is 10:15 in the morning and I am on a hill twenty miles north of Thermopolis and a half a mile off the highway. We got here at 9:30 AM and the temperature was about 70 degrees. It was 49 just before dawn at the motel. By 11 AM it is at 85 degrees. Yes there...
Don’t Miss Mantua’s 42nd Annual Potato Festival!
Mantua - Starting this Friday, September 11th, the festival that almost didn’t happen this year definitely WILL be happening. Although as recently as April, the annual festival’s future was in peril when it was discovered that former committee members allegedly misappropriated funds. But due to a huge outpouring of community support, festival organizers report that all past due bills...
Drug Busts in Nelson Township Coincided With Willie Nelson Concert
Nelson Twp. – Township officials present at the first Nelson Township trustee meeting, held Wednesday, September 2nd, were Fiscal Officer John David Finney; Trustees Joe Leonard, Mike Elias, and Tom Matota; Anne Mae VanDerHoeven, Chuck Vanek, and Michelle Cmunt. After the meeting was called to order Finney presented the trustees with a number of items to be signed, among the...
Hiram Fire Department Received DHS Grant
Hiram - At the last meeting of the Hiram Village Council, Chief Bill Byers reported that the Hiram Fire Department has received a grant of $14,250 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. The money will be used to purchase firefighter protective gear, which is subject to a federally mandated 10-year replacement...
Extreme Rower Katie Spotz Speaks to Garrettsville-Hiram Rotary
The August 31, 2015 meeting of the Garrettsville-Hiram Rotary Club heard from a rock-star of the world of extreme rowers, Katie Spotz, who in a marathon 70-day adventure rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, from Africa to South America—alone! There were 30 ft. waves, there were freighters, there were scary encounters with unknown boats and individuals…but…there were also dolphins and...
Windham Township Trustee News
Windham Twp. - The Windham Township Trustees met for their monthly meeting on August 13th at 6:00pm at the Windham Township Town Hall with all trustees and fiscal officer present. The regular meeting had been rescheduled from August 6th at 7:00pm due to the unavailability of two trustees. Chairman Dann Timmons called the meeting to order. After the customary opening...
Mantua Center School Building Found To Be Structurally Sound
Mantua - It has now been officially determined that Mantua Center School is indeed structurally safe and basically built like a fortress, putting to rest a topic that has been the focus of debate in recent years. Mantua Township trustees and the Mantua Restoration Society (MaRSI) are working hard to begin restoring the historic building. “We now...
Cops and Kids Fishing Event A Success
Hiram - Hiram Police Department held its annual “Cops and Kids” fishing day event at Camp Asbury. The weather was perfect, the fish were biting, and lifelong bonds were made with Hiram Police Officers and children of the community. The intent of “Cops and Kids” Fishing Day is to bring community children closer to law enforcement officers and build...
Mantua Village Police News
Mantua - It’s been a busy summer at the Mantua Police Department. Interim Chief of Police Joe Urso stepped up to fill the void left as Chief Harry Buchert recovered from surgery. In addition to his new role as Interim Chief, Officer Urso continued to serve as Department’s Student Resource Officer at Crestwood Schools. In that role, Urso facilitated...
Collins and Pritchard Roads Ready for Chip & Sealing in Nelson
Nelson Twp. – Convening for their second meeting of August, the Nelson Township trustees were all present Wednesday, August 19th. Township officials present were Fiscal Officer John David Finney; Trustees Joe Leonard, Mike Elias, and Tom Matota; Anna Mae VanDerHoeven, Chuck Vanek. Michelle Cmunt was unable to attend the meeting. After the meeting was called to order, Finney presented the...
Severe Flooding Issues on SR 88 Discussed at Garrettsville Meeting
A public hearing was held before the August 19, 2015 village council meeting for public comment and discussion over proposed Ordinance 2015-28, which would amend Sections 1193.07 and 1193.08 of the Codified Ordinances of the village relating to restoration of non-conforming single-family dwellings. If existing structures that are non-conforming by today’s codes are damaged, passage of this ordinance would...
John Johnson Home More than a Historic Site
Hiram Township - The Historic John Johnson Home in Hiram Township means different things to different people. It’s a historic site for some; a pleasant backdrop to Monroe’s Orchard for others. But for believers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), this is holy ground. So say Elders Grant Howarth and Damon Bahr, who are hosting...
“Fall Into Savings Passports” Now Available!
While we hate to see Summer draw to a close we know that Fall is full of fun events. The Destination Geauga Office wants to help you enjoy all of those events even more, so we encourage you to get your “Fall into Savings Passport!” The cost of the Passport is $10 and it contains offers for 25 Geauga...